To give love a chance
by Narya Saetan
Summary: Sometimes you find love when and where you least expected. AU Fic.
1. Chapter 1

Belle French really love to drive. Nothing spells _"freedom_" to her like getting behind the wheel and hitting the road. That's why that, when her friend, Mary Margaret, invited her to her upcoming wedding with James Prince, she didn't hesitate.

"So, you'll come right?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, sweetheart, and you know it" Belle replied, amused by her friend nervous question.

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry but I'm just so nervous, and happy, and totally freaking out. I need my best friend with me, sooner rather than later. So get your ass on a plane ASAP."

Belle laughed out loud at that. You gotta love Mary Margaret when she acted all bossy. Belle pictured her petite friend, trying to look intimidating, and waving a finger at her (even though she was hundreds of miles away) and laugh ever harder.

"Fine. I surrender. But I'll be driving, not taking a plane."

"Still in love with that car of yours, I see. Honestly, your infatuation with that piece of metal is something we will never share." Mary Margaret said. She hated to drive.

"First, he is not a piece of metal. He is my little lion. Second, you know my car was the first thing that I bought with the money I earn after selling my first short story. And he never let me down_.- unlike some man I know_- It's better to love your car_." He, at least, will not get my_ _heart broken_, she thought, but didn't say it out loud. No reason to bring bad memories into their conversation.

"Talking about Gaston, aren't you? That guy doesn't deserve you and you are better off, trust me."

"I know, sweetheart, I know. This Gaston thing is over." Belle answered, truthfully.

Gaston has been her boyfriend since college. Tall, dark and handsome, Belle fall for is act. Found him mysterious and interesting. He turned out to be just an idiot and a cheater.

When Belle found out she ended things but it was always hard to look back and get the feeling that she wasted some good years of her life with a creep. On the bright side, she found out before started to dream about getting married and settle down. Thank God for the small favors.

They talked for a few more minutes, about everything and nothing, like best friends tend to do. They decided that, since the wedding will take place at a Saturday, she will go to Storybrook, Maine, where Mary Margaret lived, the Monday before and stay the whole week. She was in dire need of a vacation, so it couldn't be more perfect.

Belle was a writer. Her dream was to write novels, but that was just wishful thinking. Instead she landed a job writing short stories for magazines and columns for newspapers. Her dream novel was all outlined in her mind, but every time she sits in front of the computer to start, she just can't do it. Belle keeps earing Gaston's voice in her head: "_Why don't you just drop it? Not_ _everyone was born to be a writer. Maybe you just don't have what it takes." _It was stupid, she was aware of it, but that jerk managed to create a block and she just couldn't break through. Maybe this trip would turn out to be exactly what she needed.

…..

Belle's been driving for hours but she has finally arrived. Storybrook was a small town, the type of place where everybody knows everybody. She followed Mary Margaret's instructions and soon she found herself in front of Granny's Diner. She parked her Peugeot and stepped out, stretching her sore muscles and took deep breath. This was the kind of thing Belle love about places like this. Fresh, clean air. Friendly people walking the streets, talking to each other. This sense of belonging, of being part of a community. She didn't have nothing like this in Chicago. She didn't even like Chicago, moving there was Gaston's idea. Belle has been planning to move to somewhere nicer, simpler from some time now. Who knows? Maybe Storybrook was the place for her. With a sigh Belle walked into Granny's and looked around. It was after lunch, so the place was empty, except for a pretty blond woman, sitting in a booth, looking at some papers. Behind the counter was a tall brunette, the type man usually drool over.

"Hi! My name is Ruby. Can I get you anything?" she asked with a warm and friendly smile.

"Yeah. Actually I want to rent a room for a few days." Belle said.

"Sure thing. Wait… are you Belle?" Belle nodded, a bit surprised. "Mary told me you were arriving today." Turning to the blond sitting in the booth Ruby said:" Hey, sheriff, Belle has arrived."

"Thank God you´re here." She jumped to her feet, leaving the papers scattered across the table, and approached the girls who were standing near the counter. "Not only I'm happy to finally meet you, but I will jump at any chance to not do paper work. God, I thought that being sheriff was more action and less, you know, filling forms." Belle recognized the sheriff as Emma, Mary's ex-roommate, by the description she gave her. Emma has been living with Mary for about a year when she fell in love with the town tailor and married him. Belle thought his name was Jonathan but wasn't quite sure. Belle knew she and Emma would hit it off immediately.

"I'm glad I could be of service." Belle replied, laughing." It's very nice to meet you too. Mary talks about you all the time, I feel like I've known you already."

Emma's smile was pleased and genuine: "I can say the same about you. Mary is always telling me about how much she misses you."

"Yeah, I miss her as well. Her and James. We were inseparable but we don't see each other in years."

"So it's about time we fix that, don't you guys think?" A voice Belle knew very well asked from behind them. Squealing with delight Belle pulled Mary, who as just arrived, into a bear-like hug. It has been too long.

Being with Mary brought back a lot of memories. They've know each other since they we're just little kids. Belle's father, Maurice, was friends with Mary's father, Leopold. They were both widowers, with daughters of the same age, so they bounded very quickly. And the girls adored each other. They went to school together, shared together the awkwardness of becoming teenagers and went to college together. Belle was there when Mary cried over this handsome guy, called James, who was engaged to another girl, and Mary took the first flight to Chicago after receiving a call from a sobbing, hurting Belle after she found out Gaston's infidelity. When Belle's father died, Mary didn't left her side for days at end, making sure she'd eat, making her leave the house and take long walks and holding her while she cried herself to sleep. A few months later, when Mary's father died, Belle did the same for her. Belle didn't knew how much she missed Mary, how alone she felt, until now, until being surrounded by her best friend love.

"I'm so glad you're here." Mary whispered into Belle's ear, squeezing a little tighter.

"Me too, sweetheart. It's been hard, being apart from you guys." Breaking away from the hug, Belle added with a mischievous smile: "But we have a whole week to catch up."

"Don't worry. If you wanna catch up, I have just the plan." Ruby was leaning behind the counter, looking at the happy reunion. "Girls night out! Booze, ice cream, movies starring sexy guys, girl talk… You know the drill."

"That's an awesome idea." Mary clapped, excited about the turn of events. She was just planning to cook dinner and do some catch up, but Ruby's plan sounded way better. It will be like the old days, but with all her best friends. "How about tonight? Think Granny can handle the place without you?

"No problem." Ruby didn't sound the least worried. "When she find out it's the wish of the blushing bride, she'll be cool with it." Glancing at her watch and grimacing she added: "If you guys are willing to wait for another hour or so, until she arrives."

Mary looked at Belle and Emma, who were both nodding. "It's a deal."

They took a place in a booth, planning of using that extra time to unwind and relax. The conversation flowed easily, and they soon found themselves laughing and making jokes at each other. Belle couldn't remember the last time she had this kind of fun, and knowing that it was just the first of six whole days that she had to spend with her friends, felt wonderful.

Emma told Bell her story; how she gave her baby boy to adoption because she has no means to provide him with a decent live; how he was adopted by Regina Mills, the Mayor of Storybrook ; how he, ten years later, tracked her down, because he wanted meet her birth mother ,and how she decided to move into Storybrook, so she could finally become a part of Henry's life.

"And then Jonathan asked me on a date, and we've been together ever since". Emma was telling Belle the story of how she met her husband.

"So, now, instead of having one kid, I have two, and one husband." Emma told with a happy smile. "And I've never been happier."

The Jonathan Emma was talking about was Jonathan Hatter, Grace's father, and Henry's stepfather.

"So let me get this straight: Henry is your son, but he is also Regina's – the Mayor –, and you are married Jonathan Hatter who is Grace's father." Belle asked, trying to keep up.

"That seems about right, yeah." Emma replies with a shrug. "It sounds way more complicated than it is."

"Thank the Lord for that." Belle whispered.

"Small towns are full of coincidences like these." Snow stated. Someone entering the diner caught her eye and she added: "Oh, look! That cute red head is Archie Hopper, Ruby's boyfriend." Mary urged, reaching across the table to pat Belle's hand, trying to get her attention.

Belle watched him wave at them and then take a seat by the counter. He seemed nice and a bit shy, and not at all what she would expect Ruby type would be. But seeing the way he was looking at her and the huge smile Ruby was wearing, Belle knew it was the real deal. When Ruby's hand brushed at his when she handed him his mug, he smiled, blushed faintly and glance at her with such a naked expression of awe, that Belle's heart swelled in her chest. That, right there. That was exactly what she has always wanted but never had with Gaston.

"They look very much in love." Belle said to Mary, who was still glancing at the couple.

"They are. Ruby had a crush on the good doctor – Archie is a psychiatrist by the way – ever since he came into town. They have been dancing around each other for months, neither one having the nerve to ask the other out. I had to threaten not to invite Ruby to the wedding unless she asked Archie to be her date. Work like a charm." She smiled smugly.

"Still meddling with the affairs of other people, I see. Something's never change." Belle teased. Mary always had this matchmaker vibe around her, always trying to 'guide' people into true love. Although, to be fair, it was more like 'shoving' than 'guiding' most of the times.

"Well if I hadn't stepped in, they would still be stealing glances and dancing around each other, too afraid to take the leap."

"So it's like you are providing a necessary public service. '_Be happy or else you have to deal_ _with me_' kind of thing." Emma was struggling not to laugh.

"Exactly. Public service." They stood quite for a few seconds, staring at each other. Next thing they knew they were bellowing with laughter, tears streaming down their faces, attracting strange looks from Ruby who was eyeing them suspiciously. Of course that only made them laugh even harder.

"I really don't want to know what are laughing about, do I?" A heavily accented voice asked, making the girls stop laughing and regain a little control.

"Girl talk, Mr. Gold, just girl talk." Emma answered, still snickering.

The man was just a little taller than Belle herself, lean and elegant. He had brown eyes, that were alight with amusement, and his hair was a bit on the long side, long enough to brush the collar of his shirt, and it was brown with some gray strands. He carried a dark wood, gold handle cane, and was wearing a black three piece, expensive looking suit, with a black shirt and a burgundy tie. All in all, it was a very impressive, slightly intimidating look. But his smile was warm, although a bit reserved.

"Not for the prying ears of men, then." His eyes travelled from Emma to Mary and when he saw Belle they widened a little and his smile faltered for a fraction of a second. If Belle wasn't observing him, she might have lost his reaction. _Perhaps he was just surprised for seeing a new_ _face_, she thought.

"Only if said man I prepared to hear something he might, or might not want to hear."

"Unfortunately I must decline such a generous offer." He gave them small bow, inclining his head and spreading his cane less hand, making them laugh. "I just intrude in your lovely talk because I needed to give a message to Mrs. Swan."

"It's something wrong Mr. Gold?" Emma was already entering in sheriff mode.

"Not at all. My boy called and said he was spending the night at your place, with Grace and Henry. He said Mr. Hatter invited." His voice carried a slight interrogation.

"Well, that sounds like my husband alright." Emma's smile was one part annoyed, two parts resigned.

"Well, if he his intruding, fell free to throw him out anytime."

"Will do. But don't worry; if today they're staying with us, I'm pretty sure tomorrow they'll be staying with you."

"Yes, I'm afraid so." He tried, and failed, to sound appalled at the perspective.

"I'm going to leave you ladies alone then. Anything, don't hesitate to call. Goodnight Mrs. Swan. Miss Blanchard. And Miss..." Gold hesitated, waiting for someone to tell him Belle's name.

"French." Belle answered. "Belle French."

"Belle French." It was as if he was savoring her name. "It's a pleasure."

"The pleasure is all mine." He smiled, warmly, before turning to leave, picking up his order from Ruby.

"Wow, that was strange." Emma was watching Gold leave, with a puzzled expression. "Gold is nice enough, but not very friendly. Kind of a loner I guess. But today, he was positively charming." Smiling broadly she said to Mary: "I think he likes Belle."

Belle choked on her hot chocolate and blushed brilliantly. "That's ridiculous!" She protested, trying to catch a breath. To think that that handsome gentleman was in any way interested in her was laughable. _Handsome? Where_ that _came from? _Besides, she was definitely not looking for a romance.A small part of her mind was telling her that romance, as well as love, was not something you look for. It was something that just happens, most of the times when you least expected. For some reason Belle found such thought unhelpful

Mary was eyeing Belle suspiciously. She knew her better than anyone, and she could almost hear Belle's train of thought regarding Gold. She _was _interested. Anyway, this was neither the time nor the place. Mary will hold on to this piece of information for future analysis. Glancing around, she saw Granny entering the diner. Perfect timing.

"Look, Granny arrived. Time to take this party to my place." That effectively caught Emma's attention as Mary hoped. Jumping from theirs seats, they approached the older, motherly looking woman and asked her let Ruby joined them for dinner. She said, 'yes, of course', and with a 'stay out of trouble and have fun', Granny shoed them off.

The night was fantastic. Great food, great wine, great conversation. It was as if they were friends, all of them, for years, instead of just a couple of hours. Living by herself in Chicago was not what Belle hoped it will be. She always imagined that she would do great alone, and she does, at some extent. Writing is her life, reading is her passion. She figured that having all the time in the world to indulge without having to put up with anyone would be awesome. But here, now, surround by laughter and warmth, she's not so sure.

Belle, Ruby and Emma left Mary's place together. Emma went to her house, which was located in the outskirts of town, and Ruby and Belle walked to Granny's. It was late, and Belle was exhausted after driving all morning, so she wanted to go straight so bed, after saying goodnight to her new friend.

Her room was very nice, with large windows facing the forest on the back, a tiny fireplace, wonderful for the chilling Maine weather, and a large, comfortable looking bed. A door to the right led to an adjacent bathroom. Belle decided to take a quick shower first to relax, the hot water doing wonders to her sore muscles. Later, when she was already lying in bed, and right before she drift into sleep, her mind went back to that Scottish man she met earlier. _He really is handsome, _was Belle's last thought before falling asleep.

Little did she know that across town, on a beautiful old pink house, Anthony Gold was lying in his own bed, thinking about the lovely girl, with the most amazing blue eyes he has ever seen.


	2. Chapter 2

Mary Margaret was sitting in her kitchen counter, sipping a cup of tea. Last night has been amazing and she caught herself smiling, remembering her best friends, sprawled on the couch – Emma as actually sitting cross-legged on the floor, her back resting against Ruby's legs – laughing and drinking and having fun. But what kept demanding her attention was Belle. She knew her better than anyone in the world, perhaps even better than she knew herself. They were as close as sisters, or closer even. And, as hard to believe it as it was, Belle was interested in Gold. The more Mary thought about it, the more sense it all made. She didn't know Gold, not well enough, no one did for that matter, but the little that she knew was enough. They were compatible. She was sure. Just like Emma used to always brag about her superpower – being able to know if someone was lying (which is extremely helpful if you're the town sheriff) - Mary's superpower was to detect love. It sounded a little cheesy but it was true. That was why she never gave up hope on James, even though he was engaged to be married to that other girl, Kathrin. She knew that what they had was not true. The same way that she knows that Belle chance at happiness lies with this secretive, withdrawn man. The problem was them. Belle was too hurt to even think about giving another chance at love, and Gold…Well. For what she knew and for what she heard, he never had a woman since his wife left. Not a girlfriend, not a fling, not even a one night stand. This was going to be tricky but if she let matters to their own devices nothing will happen. And she couldn't let _that _happen. This will require tact and finesse… And accomplices. But whom?

Finishing her tea she went to pick up her cell, dialing James's number. She needed to cancel their lunch… and promise to make up for him at dinner.

…..

Belle has been working since she got up but finally the deed was done. Her column for the newspaper was finally finished. It was only due on Friday but Belle wanted this to be a week dedicated to Mary and to herself, not one dedicated to work. She sent the file to her boss mail and was about to turn off her laptop when something hold her hand. It happened every single time. When she was working, the words seemed to flow. It was natural, organic even, to turn her thoughts into printed words. But when she tried to start on her novel, things just _stop. _It was infuriating and frustrating and plain stupid but, the truth of the matter was she was scared. She was terrified actually. Of being lousy, of being rejected, of being unable to finish what she started… All her life she _knew_ she was going to be a writer. When she was younger she was either reading or writing. Her imagination was endless, boundless. But then came Gaston. It was easy, today, to see what he had done. All those false compliments, undermining her confidence little by little. _This is really good. Not book material but still; _or _I admire your perseverance. Although you keep failing you never stop trying. _One day she simply_ stopped_ trying (as was his intention all along) and buried her life-long dream in some deep, secluded place inside her heart. But now, even though she broke up with Gaston, the scars remained. Six months away from that jerk and this power over her was still holding.

Feeling angry and sorry for herself, Belle opened the word processor and willed herself to write. It was to no avail.

Suddenly her phone rang, warning her she got a text. _Thinking of the devil_. Gaston kept calling her and texting her, trying to win her back. As if she was stupid enough to fall for that again. Still, it was annoying. All the: _I'm a man with needs; She was the one hitting on me; It meant nothing, it was just a one-time thing, _was unnecessary and stressful. She didn't think Gaston capable of resorting to some sort of violence, but this insistence was upsetting. _All the more_ _reason to move away from Chicago, _she thought.

A knock on door called her attention back to the present.

"Hey baby, are you decent?" Mary asked, already entering the room, covering her eyes with her hand and peeking through her fingers.

"I'm up and working, thank you very much. Not all of us are on vacation."

"You know I only wished to become a teacher to enjoy the summer vacation." Mary laughed, sitting on the bed.

"And a damn good reason too." Sitting next to Mary, Belle added: "I was only expecting to see you in the afternoon. Weren't you supposed to meet James for lunch?"

"Yeah but something came up. Some sort of emergency at the clinic." James was the town vet. His father wanted him to become a doctor but he was always passionate about animals so he decided for Veterinary. His father was angry for a while but he came to terms. He was expected to arrive on Friday, the day before the wedding.

"Nothing serious I hope?" Belle asked, a bit concerned. She loved animals as well.

"No, nothing of the sort." Mary tranquilized her. "It will just take a little time so he wouldn't be able to meet me for lunch. I decided to invite you instead, maybe show you the town afterwards. What do you think?" Mary was hoping Belle was available. In order to take her plan to another level she'll need to see Gold and Belle together to confirm her suspicions. Luckily, Mr. Gold owned the town bookstore, The Golden Scroll. It shouldn't be very difficult to convince Belle to visit it.

"I would love it sweetheart." Belle was glad for the opportunity to take her mind off of bad thoughts. Beside, hanging out with Mary was always fun.

"It's a date." Mary clapped, jumping to her feet. "I was thinking about having lunch first and then we can go check on the wedding cake and pick up my dress. Is it ok?"

"It's great, honey." Checking her wrist watch Belle asked: "It's almost lunch time. Shall we?

…..

Anthony Gold was not himself. Today should be as any other day, but it wasn't. All he seemed to think about was that beautiful girl, Belle French and that was not normal. When he saw her yesterday he felt something strange, different. His heart leaped and he felt this kind of uncomfortable, squeezing sensation in his stomach. It was unlike anything he had ever felt. On top of that he had trouble sleeping last night. His boy, Bae, was sleeping over at the Hatter's place, so his house was unusually quiet. It was the perfect chance to catch up with his reading (he was always behind in his reading) but he couldn't focus, no matter how hard he tried. He kept recalling those blue eyes. They we're the most beautiful shade of blue. And when she smiled, they seemed to sparkle, to become alight with a unique glow.

He forced himself to sleep, but the moment he woke up, sore and tired as if he had no rest at all, he realized, with a pang of something very similar to fear: he was developing feelings for her. Romantic feelings. He thought he was over this, over this type of sentiment. As if he didn't suffer enough because of these blasted, cursed feelings. No. He was not going to think about those times. It was over and done and he was not falling for that again. Besides, she was beautiful and young, so definitely not interested in him. And by the end of the week she would be gone and everything will go back to normal. It will be just he and Bae as it always was.

He had this inner monologue over and over, trying to reassure himself. He was being ridiculous, concerning himself over nothing.

Feeling a little better, Anthony dragged his attention back to his work. The store was pretty much empty, with just a few habitués wandering idly, picking books at random and reading a few pages. He couldn't look at this store without being invaded by a sense of pride. This was his dream, this place. When he was growing up, back in Scotland, money was always tight. Books were a luxury his parents couldn't afford. Sometimes even food was something they couldn't afford. The only thing he had to help him go on was his imagination. He used to invent stories, using bits and pieces of the few books he read, tying them together and coming up with some brand new story. His mother used to say he was a spinner of tales. When he was 18, his parents passed away in an accident. He was all alone, he didn't have that much friends, so he decided to sell everything, the house and the furniture and buy a ticket to America. It was the best and the worst decision of his life. The worst, because of everything that happened to him, that turned him into the man he his now, lonely and unwilling to open himself. The better because, if he'd never come, he would neither have this place nor his son. And that he would never regret.

Lost in thought, yet again, while staring blankly at the inventory he was supposed to be checking, Anthony failed to notice the pair that entered The Golden Scroll.

….

Mary and Belle were in a great mood. They walked all over town, entering randomly at stores to do some shopping. After, they went to check on the cake, which was perfect and the dress, which was nearly done. Everything was going according to plan so Mary decided it was time to take Belle to the Scroll. The timing was perfect. Gold was alone, staring at some papers and completely oblivious to them.

At first, Belle was too focused on her surroundings to notice the man behind the counter. The Golden Scroll was a beautiful bookstore, all wooden floors and rich, earthy colors. To her right a door led to an adjacent room full of kid's books, for what Belle could see, and to her left… She felt as if her stomach dropped to her feet at the sight of Mr. Gold studying some papers at the counter. Although studying wasn't the right word if one took into account the way his brow as furrowed. And even though it was absurd, she still had to suppress the sudden urge to go to him and offer a hug, or perhaps a peck on the cheek. Just the thought was enough to make Belle blush .Of course, Mary missed nothing of her friend reaction. If she wasn't already sure, the sight of a blushing Belle staring at Gold would be enough to convince her. Now it was time to see if the sentiment was shared by both of them.

Harrumphing softly, Mary startled both Belle and Gold out of their reveries.

"Miss Blanchard, Miss French, what a… lovely surprise." Gold stuttered, his eyes flashing from one girl to the other.

"I hope we're not disturbing." Mary inquired, glancing at the papers he was studying. "We can come back later. I was only showing Belle around town."

"You're not disturbing whatsoever. I was just… doing some inventory." Mary noticed the way blushed slightly at his hesitance. _Inventory. Right!_

Visibly trying to regain some control, Gold asked pleasantly: "Can I help you ladies with anything? Perhaps find some book in particular you're looking for?

All Mary was looking for was to analyze his reaction around Belle so she decided to ask Gold a favor.

"Actually I was hoping you could give us a tour to your shop. You know, if you could spare the time."

"It will be my pleasure." Gold's mind was racing as was his heartbeat. The girl he had thought about all night and all day was now standing in front of him, looking even more beautiful than he remembered. All those hours convincing himself that all that he was feeling was only in his head was a waste of time. Now, looking at her, he _knew_ he never felt like this for anyone. He never felt like this, _period. _He always thought that love, as it was described in books was just a beautiful myth. After all, he had been in love. He married his ex-wife because he was in love with her. At least he thought he was. But now, he wasn't so sure. He wasn't sure at all. Maybe he has been wrong, and with a sense of apprehension, he started to question if the books were right. This could change everything. _No! This changes nothing. _Even if this was different, this love, he was pretty sure the pain will be the same.

Belle didn't know what to do or what to think. When Mary suggested that they should visit the bookstore she never expected to find that Mr. Gold owns it. Not in a million years. Just to think that there is a big chance that they shared such a huge passion in her life seemed unreal. It certainly didn't make matters easier to her. It would be simpler to be able to tell herself: '_Well,_ _even though I do like him, is not as if we had anything in common.'_

Mr. Gold was now standing by them, smiling gently and urging them to follow him to the other room. Belle was aware that he was talking, perhaps explaining something about the store, but she was too far gone to capture the meaning of his words. All she could perceive was the cadence of his accent and the mesmerizing, spicy scent of his aftershave. On closer look, she realized that his limp was barely noticeable, at least not pronounced enough to demand the use of a cane. Not that she was complaining. The cane only added to his sense of style. _Great! I have a cane kink and I'm only realizing it now. _She blushed, imagining all the good, dirty uses he could put that cane to.

"Are you alright sweetie? You seem a bit flushed" Mary's tone was concerned but, the truth of the matter was, she was enjoying this way too much.

Of course that only made Belle blush deepened. "I'm fine baby." Facing Mr. Gold she added. "This place is amazing." Dragging herself back to the here and now, Belle admire the room they we're in. It really was amazing. Tall windows facing a small garden in the back, shelves covered with books of fairytales and mythology, a handful of tables, scattered, perfect allow o 4 or 5 kids to gather around. It was an uncommon sight, one to be expected, perhaps, on a library, but Belle was familiar enough with Storybrook to know that the library was closed.

Mr. Gold answered, as if he could see her confusion. "The kids needed a place to come and study, so I decided to transform this room into a study room. My boy and his friends spend a lot of time in here."

And, as if talking of him summoned him, Bae appeared by the door, grinning at his father.

"Talking about me? Something good I hope." He was tall, perhaps 16 or 17, with dark brown hair and an easy smile.

"Hardly." Anthony answered, with mock severity. "So you decided to make an appearance. I'm surprised."

"Why, Papa, I'm wounded by your words. I strive to be a perfect son."

"Strive and fail, I'm afraid." Anthony's eyes were alight with mirth. It was obvious he loved his son. It was also obvious that he loved to tease him.

"Well, since no one is going to introduce me, I supposed I have to do the honors." He said, facing Belle and beaming." I'm Bailey, but everyone calls me Bae."

Belle found herself smiling at the boy exuberance, so unlike his father. "I´m Belle. It's very nice to meet you Bae." Facing Mary, for the first time since he joined them he said, flashing a smile at her: "Hey Miss Blanchard."

"We're Grace and Henry? I can't recall not seeing you guys together. Thick as thieves since childhood." Grace, Jonathan's daughter, and Henry, Regina's and Emma's son, we're Bae's best friends. They we're always hanging around together, as close as brothers as they could be. They we're also planning to apply to the same college when they graduate, next year.

"They went on ahead to pick some burgers at Granny's." Turning to his father he said: "Is it okay if they crash today at our place?

"I should have seen that coming." Anthony said with a sigh: "Of course they can."

Belle caught herself smiling at the playful banter between them. It was adorable, but did nothing to ease her peace of mind. Every minute around this man only show her more qualities about him. Maybe it was time to admit that there was a great chance she will develop a crush on him. It didn't have to be such a bad thing. Flirt a little, give her ego a boost. Just as long as she keeps things simple, it can be healthy and even fun. The trick was not falling in love. After all, she wasn't looking for love.

With that in mind she said. "You're shop is wonderful. I love books."

He smiled at her, a kind of shy, boyish grin that left her feeling breathless and sent her heart racing. Oblivious to all but him, Belle failed to notice the glanced exchanged by Mary and Bae. They were both sensing the same thing. And, unless Mary was grossly mistaken, Bae was in favor. This was Mary biggest fear, that Bae might oppose. He lived alone with his father for all his life and there was a big chance that he would not want some woman to come between them. But apparently she wouldn't have to worry by that, not if his wicked smile was something to account for. In fact, Bae was the perfect accomplice. He knew his father better than anyone; he was the perfect person to notice the small changes.

She will need to talk to him, without his father or Belle around. But this was not the time or the place. Besides, it was getting late and she needed to get ready to her date with James.

"Oh, look at the time. Sweetheart I'm sorry but I got to get going if I want to meet James." She shot an apologetic look at Belle.

"I guess we lost track of time." Belle wanted to stay a little while longer to see the rest of the store. A voice in her mind was asking if that was that only reason she wanted to stay. _Of course it is. Remember? I'm keeping things simple._

"Perhaps…" Mr. Gold hesitated, already sorry he has spoken up. Clearing his throat he pushed on. "Perhaps you can visit tomorrow, to finish the tour. If you want." He sounded like a bloody fool.

"I would like that." The words were coming out Belle's mouth before she realized it. She felt a little embarrassed at the touch of eagerness in her voice.

With a final wave and wishes of a pleasant evening, father and son stood watching the two girls leave. Anthony was aware of the strange look his boy was giving him so he decided to ask and be done with it. Somehow he had a feeling he will not enjoy what he was about to hear.

"What? Have I grown horns or perhaps another head?"

"Nothing, nothing." Smiling to himself he went on. "Pretty girl, that friend of Miss Blanchard. Belle isn't it?"

"Miss French, for the likes of you." But he conceded. "She has a very suiting name, indeed."

"And she likes books. Seems like you might have things in common." _This was going to be_ _hilarious._

"It would appear so, yes." He answered without thinking. Feeling suspicious he added. "What exactly are you implying, boy?"

"That she is a beautiful, smart, single woman who seems to have an interest in you?"

"How do you now she is single?" _Again speaking before thinking. _

"I'm pretty sure she wasn't wearing any ring."

"That means nothing. Wait, am I really having this conversation. Can I possibly be getting advices from my teenage son about my love life?"

"Actually is lack thereof." Anthony's gaze could've frozen hell. _Guess it's better to drop the subject while I'm still ahead._

"Fine, fine. I'm leaving. Don't worry about dinner. We're going to order some pizzas." Bae said and dashed out.

Anthony stood there, dumbstruck. Was really that obvious?

That boy was too smart for his own good. _And for mine._

…...

Mary and Belle went their separate ways, Mary to meet James and Belle to Granny's. This couple of days has been exhausting but she was not tired. She was too riled up. So she was more than happy to join Archie Hopper, Granny and Ruby who were gathered around the counter.

She asked for something to eat and soon found herself deep in thought, lulled by the sound of her friend conversation. Her attention was brought back to the present when she heard someone saying Mr. Gold name.

"It will be hard on the man, being away from his son." Granny was saying. "He loves that boy as is if he was his own."

"He is his son. Just not biologically speaking." Ruby said. She always admired the love between those two. They say that blood is thicker than water. Anthony and Bailey Gold showed her that _love_ isthicker than blood.

"Bae is not Mr. Gold biologic son?" Belle stammered.

"No. No one knows the exact details but one day his wife was gone and, perhaps a year or so later he took a trip and returned with Bailey. The baby was just a few months old." Granny explained. "No one had the heart to ask for any details and, even if someone did, he would not have answered".

"And Bae knows?"

"Of course he does." This time it was the good doctor that answered her. "I even talked to him a couple of time, to see if he needed some help to cope but the boy is just fine. Mr. Gold did a wonderful job."

The conversation steered to other subjects but Belle was only half listening. As soon as she could excuse herself she went upstairs, took a shower and crawled underneath the sheets. Her mind was racing. There was a story, most likely a sad one, in Mr. Gold's – Anthony's – life. Maybe that was why he looked so lost at times. She was all too aware of the pain a broken heart could inflict.


	3. Chapter 3

Summary: Sometimes you find love when and where you least expected.

Rating: PG 13

Author notes: As I said before, my native language is NOT English, and my skills are sketchy at best. Typos, misspelling, verb tenses all wrong... you'll probably stumble across all the above. Please, bear with me. I'm trying my best. The flow of the story isn't exactly what I'd hoped it to be but my vocabulary only stretches so far.

This is AU. You will realize (if you stick to the story long enough) that my Gold is more like Baby!Rum than DarkOne!Rum.

That being said, forgive me for such a long note and I sincerely, truly hope you'll enjoy it.

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING

Storybrook Park was one of the coolest places in town. It was the perfect place to hang out, whether it was sunny or snowing, whether you were young or old. People gather there to see the 4th of July firework, or some outdoor concert or just to simply enjoy themselves. Gravel paths cutting through wide patches of green grass, wooden benches, shaded by tall trees, small ponds filled with ducks. Since it was summer vacation the place was always packed with families having picnics, old people playing chess or card games, teens playing football. Bae, Grace and Henry used to go there all the time. The air was full of noise, twittering birds, the unbound laugh of children, but Bae wasn't aware of any of it. He was lying in the grass on his back, looking at the few clouds that travel across the blue, and thinking about yesterday.

When he left the Scroll he stumbled across Mary Margaret, who was doing a pretty lame job acting as if she wasn't waiting for him, standing in the middle of the sidewalk, pretending to read o newspaper of all things. That one saw one to many detective movies. He approached her, smiling to himself at the look of false surprise in her face. He let her beat around the bush for a while but then took pity on her, and asked if this was about his father and her friend. She was surprised, he noticed. For all his joking and fooling around he was still very intelligent. Sharp was perhaps a better word. So, it wasn't at all surprising that he indeed noticed his father behavior towards Belle, but could also see that Mary Margaret Blanchard was trying to do her matchmaking magic happened. And, to be completely frank, he was all for it. Next year he would be leaving for college, and despite all of his father efforts to try and make him at ease, saying that he would _finally _had some time for himself without putting up with Bae's antics, he knew it will come as a shock, being all alone. If this Belle was what he thought she was, it will be perfect. He knew Miss Blanchard well enough to trust her judgment. If she thought they were a match, then she was most likely right. Turns out that Mary's biggest concern was about him. She wasn't sure what his reaction will be, and she didn't want to overstep and do something that he wouldn't be comfortable with. She always believed that _kids should come first, _no matter what the situation. He decided not to point out that he was _certainly_ not a kid anymore, but it was of no importance and her point was a valid one. If Belle appeared in their lives a few years before, he would not be happy about it. No at all. His father kept no secrets from him as he kept none from his father. As soon as Bae was old enough to understand, his father told him the truth about his story. How his mother left and then, one day, out of the blue, how his father received a call from some lady telling him that Vera – that was his mother name - had left her with some baby and that she was supposed to give the baby to him. And his father took him, even though he was not his own and despite all that his mother had done. His father tried to sugarcoat a bit, saying that Vera leaving was for the best, that she had her reasons and if they were strong enough to make her leave them they should respect. And besides, that was so long ago and his mother has already passed away so there was no reason to hold on to the anger. He could still see the pain on his father eyes when he told him of her passing away. Not because of any sentiment that he still might had for her, but because he knew his son will be hurt by that. It was strange, to be honest, to find out that she died, but the only thing he ever felt for her was indifference as far as he was concerned and anger because of what she did to his father. His father never told him but he knew .He knew then and he knows even better now. That woman destroyed his father heart, making him afraid to open up. He didn't know the details, his father wouldn't tell him, but it must have been something horrible. So it was no surprise that, for a while, he was a bit angry at woman in general. But that was in the past. What mattered now was the future and the possibility of happiness that might lay ahead for his father. He certainly deserved some by now. Anyway, he reassured Miss Blanchard, told her he was more than fine with the chance at a relationship and promised to keep an eye on his father reactions. For the little he saw, he could guarantee that he was interested in Belle. Intrigued. And it was definitely a first. So it was surprising, but pleasantly so, to see him like this. Bae couldn't be happier. The problem was, as Mary Margaret pointed out, how to make them fall for each other. Well, not exactly fall. The falling part already took place, at least for his father it did. But rather how to make them see it, believe it and, at least, give each other a chance at love. If he knew his father well enough, and he thought he did, then the key was to find ways for them to be together. His father needed constant reminder, otherwise he would just pretend like nothing was happening. And lying there in the grass, raking is brain, Bae was confident he had found a way. It was a bit of a long shot, but with Mary Margaret's help, he was sure they would pull it off.

"He's talking to himself. That's it. It's official. The poor lad has gone mad." A female voice said.

Without rising, Bae glared at Grace. She was a beautiful 16 year old, with dark golden hair and a willowy figure. He had a crush on her, a little while back, but, thank God, he got over it. They were friends, and that was all he wanted.

"So very funny little sister. I almost laugh. Kudos for the try though."

"You wouldn't recognize a good joke even if it hit you in the face." Grace said, sitting in the grass next to Bae.

"So, what's on your mind man?" Henry sat on the other side of Bae. He was almost as tall as Bae with short, straight brown hair. He was the real troublemaker of the gang, always convincing the other two into doing some elaborate, bulletproof prank, but, somehow, they manage to always get caught. "Something's wrong?"

"Nothing wrong, but I'm going to need your help in this little plan I'm making." He looked anxiously at his friends. More than their help, he definitely was going to need their support. "Mary Margaret and I are trying to set my father up with her best friend that came from Chicago for the wedding."

"Affairs of the heart? I'm so in." Grace answer was immediate.

"And you?" Bae, asked, glancing at Henry.

"You now I got your back man. That's what family is for, right?" He said, grinning.

They were sitting in the grass, facing each other, forming a triangle. It was at times like these that Bae always felt a sense of awe, of gratitude. If one though about how thing could have gone horribly wrong for them, with him and Henry being adopted and all three of them being raised by single parents, it really was amazing how thing turned out so well for them. They may not be blood, but they were kin.

"I'll need you guys to convince Emma and Jonathan to take a trip to the lake tomorrow." The lake was no more than a pond really but it was one of Storybrook's best kept secrets, unknown to that annoying lot of noisy tourist. A perfect place to join some friends and spent some quality time, swimming, playing cards or volley or football or just catch some sun.

"No problem. It's a bit short notice but I think we can convince them that a day off is in order."

"We'll need to talk to Mary because Belle must be there, as well as my father but with him I will deal." He knew exactly how to convince him. It was just a matter of tell him that this year will be the last year before college, so it was the great time to spent some time together.

"Emma said she was going to swing by Granny's. Wanna catch up with her?

"Let's go."

…...

"Belle. Belle! Earth to Belle."

"What? Oh, I am so sorry Emma. My mind was somewhere else." Belle could fell her cheeks warming from embarrassment. Emma's amused stare was only making her blush harder.

"That I can see." Emma replied. "Is there something I can do to help?"

Caught off guard, Belle opted to go for the truth. Trusting wasn't something that came naturally for her, at least not since the Gaston fiasco, but Emma was different. Not only she was a friend of Mary's but she had this brook-no-nonsense way to deal with things that was very reassuring.

"Well, it's my ex. He keeps calling and texting me, even though we broke up six months ago. It's annoying, to say the least, but today he texted saying that he knew I was here in Storybrook for Mary's wedding and he is planning to make a little visit. He is just a creep but I really don't want him to ruin Mary's day."

Emma was listening intently, trying to figure out if this guy could be dangerous. She had a lot of experience with guys like these and sometimes it was wrong to underestimate. A bruised ego was not something some people take lightly. But she didn't want to stress Belle even more so she just asked how this guy look like and promised to keep an eye out for him.

"Don't you worry Belle. They usually talk a big talk but that is as far as they go."

"Yeah, I guess." Belle was still feeling a little unsure but Emma's confidence was infectious, so by the time Bae, Grace and Henry walk into Granny's the girls were in a way better mood.

"Hey, what are you three doing here? I thought you were going to the park?" Emma eyed them suspiciously.

"We were but then we came across this great idea." Henry answered. "What do you think of a trip to the lake tomorrow? We now it is short notice but we thought it will be fun."

"You thought, do you? Well, who will be going, if you don't mind me asking?" It was a work day, but summer vacation was at full swing, the city was fairly deserted so she wasn't expecting great difficulties.

"The three of us, Mary Margaret and James, you and Jonathan, Ruby and Archie and my father. Oh, and Belle, of course." Facing her he added. "If you want."

"I would love that." Belle smiled.

"So, what do you say?" Henry knew Emma well enough to know that she'll jump at the chance to spend a day outdoors.

"I will talk to Jonathan and Mary. If they agree, I'm in."

"Awesome." Grace clapped happily. "I'm going to ask Ruby right away." She went skipping to the counter, already waving to Ruby.

"I got to go and meet my father at the Scroll to try and convince him to take tomorrow off." Clapping Henry on the back he added. "Call me latter, will you? To give all the details for the trip?"

"Sure thing man. See ya."

Before he could reach the door, Belle caught up with him.

"Do you mind if I join you? I still have to take the rest of the tour of the Scroll."

"No at all. My father will be delighted." Taking note of how Belle blushed slightly at that, Bae smiled to himself. He was starting to see why Mary Margaret liked this matchmaking stuff. This was kinda fun, actually.

They talked all the way to the Scroll, laughing and making jokes. Belle was really quite funny, with a kind of peculiar, witty sense of humor. He could almost picture his father and her teasing each other mercilessly over breakfast. It was really a nice scenario.

"So you're a writer? That is so cool."

"It´s all I really wanted to be, you know? Ever since I was little that has been my dream."

"My dad is a story teller too. Literally. When I was a kid he always told me a story to help me fall asleep. That is perhaps my oldest memory. You have to try and picture it: a man, in a shirt and tie and fancy shoes, telling his boy a story, waving his cane around as if it was a sword… I still laugh every time I think about it. But he was really good, he was a natural."

"He sounds like an amazing father."

"He is." Bae smile was nostalgic, reliving all those fond memories. "You know, he never made me feel like he was doing things out of obligation. He never blamed me for anything that happened. I know I'm not to blame in anything that my mother did, but a lesser man would resent me nonetheless. But not him. I was always his boy, his son."

"Of course he wouldn't resent you. He obviously loves you very much." The smile he gave her was brilliant, and her heart squeezed in the most unnatural way. Not only was she nursing a crush on the father, but she was also getting all these feeling toward his son. The need to protect, to take care, to tuck him in at night even though he was almost seventeen. She was trying to keep this fun and light but it was getting harder, seemingly by the minute. These two made an amazing, fantastic family and, by God, she wants to be a part of it. Horrified, Belle realized that was close to tears. _What is happening to me? _She never acted like this. But to be fair, she never felt like this either. Luckily the Scroll was just around the corner so the chances of making a fool out of herself in front of Bae were slimming. On the other hand the chances of not making a fool out of herself in front of Anthony were not so good. _Get a hold on yourself woman. _Easier said than done.

The place was seemingly empty, not one costumer and certainly no Anthony Gold. Bae checked the study room and the office but no one was there.

"Maybe he his upstairs." He mused. Only then Belle noticed the wooden staircase that lead to another floor. "That is where he keeps the antiques." Noticing Belle puzzled look he explained. "The main source of income is not these, let's call them, regular books. My dad specialty is dealing with rare and unique books."

"I couldn't explain it better myself." Anthony was coming down the stairs, smiling at them and carrying a book in his hand. He barely needed to put his weight on the cane, Belle noticed. She was going to have to ask someone to tell her about it. Did he have an accident? Or was just a style thing? Before she could put more thought into that very important, very intriguing question, her attention was drawn to the man in question, or better, to what the man was doing with the book. Belle noticed the way his long fingers slowly caress the book cover, without noticing it. For a crazy, _wonderful_, moment she dared to imagine that his hands were not caressing the book, not anymore. She could almost fell the gentle pressure of his fingertips idly traveling across her naked skin, learning the places that make her sigh and moan.

"Are you feeling quite alright?" Anthony was peering into her eyes, concerned and Belle flushed brilliantly.

"Hum…Yes. Thank you" She stutter.

"You're sure? You do seem a bit flushed."

Belle just nodded, but though_: Yeah you would also be blushing if you could read my mind. God, I'm losing it._

"Go and grab a bottle of water Bae, if you please." Anthony never took his eyes off her. The sight of her blushing features was quite fetching, to say the least and before he could repress it a vision of Belle, caught in the rapture of pleasure, clinging to him for dear life came unbidden into his mind. To say he was shocked was an understatement. He never fantasized about anyone anymore. It was disturbing but not necessarily a bad thing. He just had to keep in mind that it was all that this was, a fantasy. No harm could come from it….. Right?

Bae was watching them, standing next to the office door, with a bottle of water in his hand. Seeing them like that, together and blushing and mumbling was adorable. What little doubt he may harbor was now gone. They were perfect together.

Handing the bottle to Belle he decided to help a little, give them a topic to start a conversation and then retire himself. Chances were they wouldn't even notice he was gone.

"So, Belle was telling me that she is a writer. Pretty cool, don't you think dad?"

"That's wonderful. What kind of books?"

"I don't write books, actually." Belle answered a bit embarrassed. "Just short stories and columns for newspapers. I tried to write a novel but I don't think I can pull it off."

"I believe you can." His wasn't trying to indulge her. He sounded completely sure of himself, like he was stating a fact.

"And why is that, pray tell?" She was intrigued and a bit amused by his matter-of-fact approach at her supposed incapability.

"Because you already are a writer. You've enough talent to live only from your writings, yes?" He didn't wait for her response. "Writing a novel is different, I imagine, but I sense that what you're lacking is self-confidence."

"I suppose, but what if I did write a novel and it sucks? I would be heart-broken. It's safer not to try at all."

"I've never heard such a complete nonsense in my entire life! Writing should make you happy not sad or nervous. Shouldn't it?"

She stared at Anthony, not quite sure what to think. Could it be really that easy? She remembered when she was a young girl and started to write little tales. She was happy. Writing made her happy, but she lost that happiness along the way. Ever since Gaston. Well, no more. It was high time she took back her happiness. She knew it will take time to feel confident again, but she was willing to try and just write for herself. That would be a great way to start over.

"You're absolutely right. And it was so painfully obvious I don't know how I could have missed it."

"Sometimes is easier to notice from the outside."

They shared a knowing smile and time seemed to stop. She felt some sort of force pulling her to him, slowly but surely, and – could she be imagining it? – he seemed to be inching closer to her.

"Well, I have to get going. See you later dad. And see you tomorrow Belle. Don't forget the trip to the lake." This was uncanny. They completely forgot he was there and they almost kissed. Wait until Mary heard about this. She will be ecstatic.

"Wait, what trip to the lake?" It was hard to think rationally. Did he almost kiss Belle? Seemed hard to believe. What was happening to him?

"Oh, don't worry. Talk to you later. Bye." And he all but ran outside, leaving a very embarrassed couple trying to pretend nothing happened.

"Let me show you upstairs." The rest of the tour went without a hitch. It was all about pleasant, safe conversation. The tension was still there, it was undeniable, but they did their best trying to ignore it. But despite all the awkwardness she spent a lovely time. Anthony was very passionate about books and he told her a lot of funny stories about them or about writers, going the extra mile just to make her laugh. This one time he even beamed at her and it was all it took to soften his features, making him look years younger. _He should smile more often,_ Belle though.

When she found herself outside she felt lost and confuse and with a sudden urge to write. It was still mid-afternoon, but Belle decided to head to her room at Granny's and give it a try. Once in her room, she sat with her laptop, and just wrote. Next thing she knew, she had wrote almost thirty pages of her novel and have been working nonstop for over five hours. She ended up tired and sore but completely and utterly happy.

…

Gaston glanced at his phone once again. Still nothing. Furious he throw it across the room, getting a little satisfaction when he heard it crash into the wall. She was the cause of his anger. Pacing furiously, trying to calm himself, Gaston relieved the last few months. When Belle caught him and that blond chick – he forger her name – he knew she will be upset. Women, right? Making a big fuss out of nothing. So he figured, let her cool down, give her some space, then apologize and she'll be running back to him, where she belonged. But that ungrateful bitch denied him. Said that it was all over. Well, it was not over until he said so. No one dumps Gaston . He does the dumping. And after all that he had done for her. If it wasn't for him, she will still be writing her little book, surrounded by boring, old people, putting ideas into her pretty little head. That would not do. The place of his woman was next to him, looking pretty, or in the house, taking care of the kids. And know, even though he apologized, even though he keeps calling her and texting her, she still doesn't reply. Well, he knew where she was. Smiling to himself he decided that maybe it was time to pay her a little visit.


	4. Chapter 4

Summary: Sometimes you find love when and where you least expected.

Rating: PG 13

Author notes: As I said before, my native language is NOT English, and my skills are sketchy at best. Typos, misspelling, verb tenses all wrong... you'll probably stumble across all of the above. Please, bear with me. I'm trying my best. The flow of the story isn't exactly what I'd hoped it to be but my vocabulary only stretches so far.

This is AU. You will realize (if you stick to the story long enough) that my Gold is more like Baby!Rum than DarkOne!Rum.

That being said, forgive me for such a long note and I sincerely, truly hope you'll enjoy it.

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING

Belle woke up feeling rather happy. Yesterday was one of those amazing, unforgettable days. The kind of day when everything falls into place and life take this unexpected turn for the better. When she thinks of all the progress she has done in just one short day, she has to repress the urge to pinch herself. It feels very much like a dream, a wondrous, almost unbelievable dream. Mary called last night after diner and she was so excited about all that happened that she just started to laugh. She laughed and laughed and then she started to laugh _and _cry, saying over and over again the she was so happy, so, so happy. Mary was halfway through the door before Belle controlled herself enough to explain: she was writing again and everything was finally alright in God's green land. Then it was Mary's time to cry. By the time she hung up, still wiping away the last tears, she was feeling completely spent, both emotionally and fiscally. Who would have thought that this amount of happiness could be so exhausting? She just crawl into bed and was asleep even before her head hit the pillow.

These last couples of days have been so much more than she ever expected. She was only hoping to spent some time with her friends, be away from Chicago for a while and catch up with her reading or do some shopping. Instead she was having the time of her life: having fun with old friends, making new ones, getting her life back on track and, she could admit it to herself at least, falling in love. She knew it was not going to happen but dreaming was also nice, pretending that they could became her family.

Sighing Belle decided to focus on the task at hand. She was already running late and she still needed to put on her bikini, pick up a nice summer dress, pack a bag with all the essential articles and then run down stairs to meet Ruby and Archie. She was giving them a lift in her beautiful car, Emma and Jonathan were taking Henry and Grace and Mary and James would take Bae. She wasn't sure if Anthony was going to show up. She was hoping that he would and not because she was dying to see him in a swimming suit, at least not only because of that. She wanted to thank him and talk to him and _be_ with him. It was of no use to hold on to this _keeping things fun and easy ._If she was going to leave in three days, she was planning to take with her a ton of good memories to keep her warm at night. After all, it was not as if she was the first to ever suffer from unrequited love.

…...

Anthony still couldn't believe he was actually going to do this. Close the store in a working day was strictly against his work ethic but how exactly was he supposed to deny his boy's wish to go to the lake? And he did a pretty valid point: they had to enjoy themselves while Bae was still here, make every moment and every day count. Still he decided to show up a little later, do some work first to ease his guilty conscious. He would never admit, not even under torture, that the reason he was delaying was because he was nervous. He refused to use the word 'scared'. The truth was he was falling in love with Belle and what he was feeling was unlike anything he had ever felt.

For the last 15 years or so he has done his level best to forget all that had happened between him and his ex-wife. He met her here, in the States, just a couple of years after he arrived from Scotland. He had landed a job in a bookstore, a tiny dark hole full of dust and filled with second hand books, pilled helter-skelter in every available surface. Floor included. The owner was an old man named Peter whose great obsession was books. And obsession was the correct term. He usually forget to eat and if Anthony wasn't there to send him home he would probably end up spending the night at the shop, engrossed in some book. Peter's wife tried for a time to achieve a place in his heart but there simply was no room left for her. Books were all his heart desired so eventually she grew tired of trying.

Vera, his ex, used to go to the store, to browse through the shelves while waiting for some friends. Anthony thought she was pretty enough, perhaps a bit cold, usually a bit shallow. She never paid him much attention, that was, until Peter died. His wife wanted to get rid of the books, so she offered them to Anthony. He tried to talk her out of it, Peter's collection was quite valuable, filled with antiques that were worth a lot of money, but she was adamant. She despised them. So Anthony found himself quite suddenly in the possession of a small fortune, enough for him to start his own business. When Vera found out that he was now a rich man her behavior towards him changed. She acted as if she was in love with him, she drank his every word and seemed as she couldn't have enough of him. Of course now the reason for such a change was extremely obvious, but back then, when he was so young and so love-starved, she was his every dream come true. He showered her with gifts, he worked like a slave to be worthy of her, her devoted his life to her. And for a while thing were just perfect. But somewhere along the way she began to change. She grew distant, aggressive. She criticized everything he did or said, every little thing was reason enough to star an argument. He spent countless sleepless nights raking his brain, trying to figure out how to make things better, how to make things work again. But it was like trying to stop the sun from setting in the west, an exercise in futility. Then one day, after a huge fight when she told him that he was 'a pathetic excuse for a man', he left for work and when he returned home she was gone. As well as all the money and jewels that they kept in the house and all the money in the joint account. She left a letter, blaming him for all that happened, saying that 'if only he had filled for a divorce she wouldn't have the need to resort to this but he was just too much of a coward'. She left him penniless and heartbroken. He had to sell his books, all his personal collection and it felt like losing a piece of his soul. Those books were like friends, family even, never judging, always there. That was perhaps the thing that made him hate her the most. (That and abandoning Bae. How can someone do such a thing?) For days he only felt numb. He went to work, he paid his bills, he barely ate… but that was because he barely had enough money to. But if he was going to truly be honest with himself he must admit that he actually never loved her. Not really. What he loved was the notion of being loved, but she, well… she only loved his money.

The lesson he took from all this was that women can't be trusted, not ever. And although the knowledge that there was no real love joining them made thing a little easier, the break of trust, the betrayal, knowing that all those time she said 'I love you' was but a lie, made a hole in his heart. Once the trust is lost it is very difficult to win it back and Vera managed not only to break his trust in her but in himself as well, in his own feelings. It was as if he couldn't trust in anyone, anymore and that was the scar that he carried to this day.

But now, since Belle, all that certainty was flying off the window, what he was now feeling was simply insane. It seems that his heart just doesn't play fair.

…..

Bae was having a great time. When Mary told him that he was riding with her and James to the lake he knew Mary wanted to use this time to talk with him, refine their plan. Of course it was impossible to keep things from James, seeing that he was just a couple of feet away. Bae and Mary knew that if their plan was supposed to work they would need every scrap of help they could find. And James was completely on board. He knew Gold better than anyone in Storybrook, except from Bae. He was the closest thing to a friend that Gold had. Nothing too exuberant, mind. Gold was a low profile kind of guy, but still. And he knew Belle since college and he must admit, thinking things trough, Belle French and Anthony Gold were a match. And from what Bae and Mary told him, they were into each other. So the trick was making them see it in the few days left before the wedding. Today was this trip to the lake and tomorrow, they were already planning to throw a dinner, just with the closest friend. Of course Belle and Anthony were invited. The bottom line was, in the end of the day, it was really all up to them. So, since there was nothing more than can be done it was time to sit back and enjoy. After all the point of this whole trip was to have a wonderful time and to enjoy themselves, despite their secret agenda. And they were almost to the lake.

They took a very narrow road, unmarked, that led them deep into the woods. For about 2 miles all there was too see was tall, towering trees, and nothing more. Then, all of the sudden, the road led into a clearing, allowing the first good look on the lake itself. The water reflected the sun and a soft wind send ripples across the surface. Forrest surrounded it except for the small clearing they were now entering. There was no one there besides them; this place was maintained as wild as it ever was. The only sign of human life was a small, very old looking row boat and a tiny log cabinet partially hidden by trees standing in the other side of the clearing. They parked the cars in the shade and started to unload them, tackling the chores with a kind of efficiency of movement that spoke of…. Jonathan, Archie and James were already assembling the tent, while the kids gather fallen twigs and branches, pilling them neatly and arranging everything to start a bonfire. Belle was at a loss of what to do so instead she moved to the shore and dip her hand in the water, taking a deep, soothing breath. This place was even more amazing that she'd imagine. When one thought about the Maine lakes she always pictured some huge, almost sea-like thing, filled with motor boats and noisy people, coffee-shops and restaurants and ice-cream stands. Something nice, in its own way, but not really her thing. But this was heavenly. She could almost see herself coming her just to sit in the shade of some tree with a book and bask on the silence, on the sense of peace that this place exuded.

"What's on your mind sweetie?" Mary asked.

"Just thinking that, if I lived here, I would come to this place all the time. This is so beautiful honey."

"Then why don't you?

"Why don't I what? Belle answered, puzzled.

"Live her. Move here."

Belle sighed, unsure of how to answer. Her eyes traveled to Bae, laughing out loud at something Grace said. "I don't know. I guess I would need a very good reason not to leave."

…..

It was just after 2pm. Anthony delayed as much as was possible but it was after lunch and he promised Bae to spend the afternoon with them. So he drove the 15 miles or so to the lake all the while trying to prepare himself to the very real chance of seeing Belle in a bikini. His mouth went dry at the thought alone. He brutally repressed that mental image. The last thing he needed right now was to crash his car into a tree due to extreme arousal.

One last turn on the narrow path and he arrived. He immediately noticed the laughing group playing volleyball, forming a circle. It seems that all the girls were there as well as the kids. And they were all in their swimsuits, just as he feared. Try as he might his gaze wandered, searching for the blue eye beauty. It was an addiction of sorts. He was more than aware of the dangers but was helpless to deny his heart desire. Belle was even more exquisitely beautiful than he though. Despite being quite short she was perfectly proportioned, all lush curves and creamy skin. He took advantage of the relative protection of the car to just look at her, drink her in. Shaking his head, Anthony exited his car releasing a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. He was playing with fire and was likely to get burnt. In a way it was quite appropriate. He already burn for her.

Waving at the players who somehow managed to toss the ball right into the lake and were debating which was going to be the unlucky one to fetch it (Henry draw the shortest straw this time ), Anthony joined Archie, James and Jonathan who were entertaining themselves with some friendly, wager free game of poker. They fall into an easy camaraderie, talking about nothing of importance, making some very bad attempts at bluffing and, at times, teasing their wives over some particularly bad move. It was impossible to miss the love shinning in Archie's, James's and Jonathan's eyes when they look at them. He felt, for what felt like the thousandth time since he met Belle, doubt creeping in. They made love seem so easy, so clear. He kept stealing glances at Belle, beautiful, with her hair wild from the wind and her cheeks blushed from all the running and he felt his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. He loves her, he might as well admit it to himself, but he was not brave enough to act on his feelings. And that thought was all it took to make the day seem a little less bright.

…..

Belle was the first to notice the arrival of the black car. She knew, right then, that it was _his _car. It suited him, dark and imposing, intimidating even. But the car, as well as the suits and the cane, were all but a façade, an armor he felt like he needed to wear. That was why it was so surprising seeing him as he was today, unshaved, wearing a white shirt with the top buttons undone and jeans. She was so caught up that she missed completely when Mary tossed the ball in her direction and managed, somehow, to throw it right in to the lake. Of course everybody laughed, she included, but Mary shot a knowing smile in her direction that she found extremely un-reassuring. Was it so obvious?

They played for a little while longer, shouting and laughing the whole time. Belle felt young for the first time in oh so many years, happy and carefree. Every once and awhile she glanced at the guys playing poker, and every single time Anthony and looking at her, a small smile paying in his lips. She started to feel hot, and it had nothing to do with the game's exertions. She needed to get away before she did something stupid like pouncing on him in front of all her friends and have her wicked way with him. It was hard to repress the urge to laugh at the mental image of Anthony running for the hills trying to escape her. Well, on second thought, it wasn't really that funny. It was more depressing really.

Grabbing the volley ball and ignoring the protest of the kids she said:

"Guys, I'm exhausted." And it wasn't even a lie. "You go ahead and continue to play. I'm taking the row boat for a spin."

"Can I come with?" Bae interjected. "I can row and you can enjoy the ride." Bae noticed how distracted Belle became since his dad arrived so if she was planning for an escape, having him there as a constant reminder was probably the best way to keep her mind on his father.

Eager as she was to get away, Belle failed to notice the looked that passed between Bae and Mary. Emma and Ruby however saw the whole thing and demanded explanations and Mary was more than happy to provide them. The wedding was upon them and every scrap of help was welcome. As they watched Bae and Belle climb into the boat, May gather the other girls and begun:

"So here's the deal. Last Monday, when Belle arrived, I noticed...'

…

How Anthony managed to keep an eye on Belle's every move and still won two out of three matches he didn't know. Apparently his multitasking skills were in very good shape. He saw when Belle left with Bae to take the little, old, and, at least as far as he could tell unreliable row boat, for a ride. Bae was an excellent swimmer; he wasn't at all concerned, but Belle… What if she couldn't swim? What if something happened to her? Without really noticing he inched forward in the bench until he was sitting on the very edge, body poised ready to jump at the first sign of distress, muscles tense. All seemed well; they appeared to be quietly talking, smiling as if sharing some secret joke. It was at moments like these that his mind snuck up on him, making him believe that things could be this prefect, forever. He could almost picture them sharing this happiness, together as a family. He never wanted anything more.

A voice woke him from his daydream, Mary was calling Belle's attention to something. Then, all happened at the same time: Belle half rose to look behind her shoulder to Mary and the boat dipped under her weight in the most alarming way; Bae tried to put pressure on the opposite side, to balance the center of gravity; Not noticing she rose to her feet, releasing the pressure on her side, causing the boat to dip on the other side. For a split second she stood there, waving her arms as if she were a windmill, trying to stay on board, but to no avail. With a shriek she s_plashed _into the lake. Anthony leaped from his seat without even noticing, a jolt of pain running through his leg as he landed all his weight on it. Fear was pooling in the pit of his stomach, he never felt so useless. _What if she dies?_ Dread was rushing through his veins, nobody was moving to help Belle, and he felt like howling. It took him a full second to really sense the mood of the others: no one was afraid; in fact they were smiling, laughing even. Belle reemerged, looking cold and with such an affronted expression that Anthony just lost it: throwing his head back he released a booming, full-bodied laugh. Vaguely he realized that this was a reaction to the fear, but he couldn't care less. Belle was ok, she was fine really, and the situation was funny, very funny indeed.

…

Belle first sensation was cold. How would have thought that the water would be so damn cold? As she swam to the surface she was greeted by laughter. They were laughing at her! She was so mad…. Until she heard Anthony laugh. It was the first time she ever heard him laugh, really laugh. It was almost worth to plunge into the lake if this was the reaction she got. Unable to contained herself, Belle joined them, laughing and splashing water at Bae. But splashing was not enough. With two quick strokes she reached the boat and successfully managed to make Bae fall overboard as well. By then she was laughing so hard, she could hardly breathe. Suddenly and idea came to her mind. It really was unfair to be wet to the bones and providing all the entertainment. Maybe a little payback was at order. And she knew exactly how was going to pay the bill.

…..

Anthony considered himself the kind of guy who was always one step ahead of things. It was very difficult to surprise him or catch him off guard. That's why, when Belle dump on his head a bucket full of cold, chilling, lake water, he almost jump off of his skin. At least he managed not to scream like a little girl. Thank God for the small favors!

"What exactly do you think you're doing Miss French?" He tried to sound menacing but wasn't entirely sure if he succeeded judging by the way she was looking at him.

"Since I've already dump half the lake on you, I think it is ok for you to call me Belle." She said, flashing that warm, open, beautiful smile at him, the smiled he grown to love. It was impossible not to smile back.

"Ok, Belle, but I must say you are most unfair to an old man. It is not as if I can chase you down and give you the…punishment… you deserve." His voice was barely above a whisper, a kind of purr that left Belle feeling quite breathless. A blush was rising from her chest, tainting her cheeks in the most becoming way. Anthony started to grow concerned. Maybe he was to forward and offended her. _You and your big mouth._ Only then he noticed the way she was looking at him, the strange glint in her eye. Suddenly he was all too aware of the way he looked, his hair a wild mane, his white shirt clinging to his torso, almost transparent from being wet. He felt her eyes travel up and down his body like a caress that sent shiver running through his body that had nothing to do with the fact that he was soaked.

"You're not old." Belle managed to say, after dragging her eyes off him. She tried to focus on his face but that didn't improve matters. The urge to run her fingers through his hair to see if it was really as soft as she though was almost impossible to deny. She was vaguely aware of her friends, just a few feet away, already packing to leave but she couldn't bring herself to worry. Not when her ears were full of his voice, her eyes full of his kind brown ones, her senses overwhelmed by everything that was his, from the spiced scent of his aftershave to the way his hands wouldn't stop moving, whether he was talking or listening. She was never more in tune with another human being. She could almost hear his heart beating, a wild gallop that surely matched the tempo of her own heart.

"Whenever you guys are ready to lend a hand please do." James shouted, breaking the trance in which Belle and Anthony had fallen. Smiling shyly they went their separate ways, busying themselves with the packing, trying to pretend that nothing had happened. Mary, Emma, Ruby, Henry, Grace and Bae, who were watching and rooting for the two almost love-birds, look ready to scream of frustration. They were _so_ close. And now they had only two days to make this happened.

Mary was an optimistic but even she was founding theirs odds a bit disheartening. Sighing she joined the others. There was nothing more to be done today except go home and hope that tomorrow work out better.


	5. Chapter 5

Summary: Sometimes you find love when and where you least expected.

Rating: PG 13

Author notes: As I said before, my native language is NOT English, and my skills are sketchy at best. Typos, misspelling, verb tenses all wrong... you'll probably stumble across all the above. Please, bear with me. I'm trying my best. The flow of the story isn't exactly what I'd hoped it to be but my vocabulary only stretches so far.

This is AU. You will realize (if you stick to the story long enough) that my Gold is more like Baby!Rum than DarkOne!Rum.

That being said, forgive me for such a long note and I sincerely, truly hope you'll enjoy it.

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING

PS: Minor 'The Nanny' reference. Obviously I don't own that show either. Unfortunately.

No matter how hard you try to stop time you are inevitably bound to fail. Truer words were never spoken, at least in Belle's point of view. Somehow four whole days had passed by leaving her with only two more in Storybrook. Tomorrow was the wedding day and she will leave right after. Never before she wanted something less. But she had to leave. Her time here was just like a dream and it was almost time to awake.

Belle's mood was so grim that she decided to stay indoors enjoying her new found pleasure in writing and leave only when it was time to join the others for diner. Mary gave her directions to the restaurant, a cozy little Italian place that would be open just for them. The prospect of being with Anthony put a smile on her face. A sad one, but a smile nonetheless. It was ridiculous to desire more than just friendship and she spent countless hours yesterday, alone in her room watching the shadow dance across the ceiling, convincing herself of that. She was not quite sure if she succeeded however. It was always easier when they were apart. Being with him was a completely different matter. Angrily shaking her head, Belle forced these thoughts away from mind. It was useless and painful and she already had enough pain in her life. Sighing she picked up her laptop and tried to lose herself in her creation, the soothing, hypnotic beat of the keys lulling her into her dream world.

…..

Emma was lounging in her chair at the sheriff's office, or trying to at least. _Lousy, good for nothing, uncomfortable chair. _Apparently comfort was not one of the perks of being the personification of law in this little town. Shifting slightly in the seat, she hooked on leg on the armrest of the chair and resumed watching Mary pacing around the station. Whenever Mary was concerned of restless she dropped by and it was always the same drill: walking from one side of the station to the other, muttering under her breath and shaking her head, until she finally collapsed on the couch next to the cell, addressing Emma for the first time since she arrived and saying with a defeated voice:' I don't know what to do.' It was perhaps the thing that annoyed Mary the most, the lack of direction. That was probably the real big difference between the two of them: Mary wanted things to always go exactly as she planned, while Emma knew life had a way of pulling the rug from beneath your feet and you just have to learn to take the fall, pick yourself up, and move on.

Not waiting for the question this time, Emma went ahead and answered nonetheless: "There is nothing you can do about it. It's out of your hands." Emma said, trying to convince Mary. She was having none of it though.

"You don't understand Emma. Belle needs to be happy, she deserves it more than anyone I know, and Gold _is_ her happiness."

"Well, you've done everything you could to bring them together short of kidnapping them, lock them in a room and keeping them there until they had sex! Drop it. It's up to them now."

"That's exactly why I'm worried. For people so smart sometimes they can be really dense." But the fight had left her. Eyeing Emma she stated with a defeated voice: "There is really nothing more to do."

"That's right baby. The only thing to do now is to wait." Emma rose from her chair and joined Mary in the couch, draping an arm across her shoulders.

"You know I hate waiting." Mary complained, letting her head rest on Emma's shoulder.

They sat there for a while, lost in thought, enjoying each other company, until Emma decided to break the silence. "Shouldn't you be on your way? James is waiting for you to go and pick up you soon-to-be father in law at the station."

That effectively distracted Mary from her previous concern. Emma watched her friend leave, and as soon as Mary was out of sight, Emma got to her feet and start pacing herself. She hated seeing Mary like that, worried and concerned. She had half a mind to just go and find Gold, or Belle, or _both_ for that matter and shake them until they grow some sense. A blind man could see that they were into each other. So why were they acting as if nothing was happening? Were they afraid? Well, Emma knows, from personal experience, how hard it is to trust when all you're used to is betrayal. But she also knew that, at times, your only choice is to bite the bullet, take the leap, or else you may found yourself one day looking back and wondering what might have been.

Taking her own advice, Emma forced this subject out of her mind. There was no point worrying about something that was out of their hands. Besides, the pile of paperwork, sitting in her desk was not going to sort itself out.

…

When the phone rang, Belle felt a stab of irritation. She always felt like this, whenever she was forced to leave her writing when the Muse was favoring her. Scrambling through her purse, she fished her cell:

"This is better be good!"

"Well, hello to you too, grumpy." was Mary's amused reply.

"Sorry, honey, but I was working and you know I get cranky when I'm interrupted."

"I know, but I will be much more than just 'cranky' if you missed my diner." She chided.

"Oh, God! What time is it?" Belle asked, franticly.

"Early enough for you to put on your dress, get in your car and arrive on time. I do know how you tend to lose track of time so I decided to give you a call. And thank God I did!"

"Thanks sweetheart. I'll see you there?"

"You know it. Remember, 8:30pm. Don't be late." Mary warned.

Thanking all deities for having her outfit ready beforehand, Belle checked her watch: 7:30pm. Enough time to jump in the shower, get dressed, get her hair done, apply some make-up and take off. Barely.

…..

Gaston faced the forest surrounding the road with a scowl. He despised these country roads, these little towns. If he had his way he would never leave the city, with all the lights, the life, the energy of it. Once again, he started to think if Belle was worth all this trouble. He really wasn't that into her. And he left a gorgeous blond girl (Janey?, Ginny?, names tend to slip his mind) waiting for him. No! He was doing the right thing. Belle wasn't allowed to leave until he told her so and he will make her pay for turning him down.

Checking his watch he saw that was almost 8pm, diner time. He would surely find her at that place – Granny's he thought - maybe with her nose stuck in a book. If she knew how unattractive that was she would drop that reading nonsense. Who would want to be with a woman who was smart, intelligent? Broads were supposed to look pretty, obey the man and tend the house. Yet again he wondered if she was worth all the trouble. Smiling to himself he thought it was very worth the trouble. Anything was worth to bring that bitch down a notch or three.

…

"Would you stand still?" Anthony growled, arranging the knot of his tie.

"No, I won't. We're running late and you are arranging your tie for 20 minutes. At least! You wear a tie every single day, for crying out loud!" Bae said, throwing his hands in frustration.

"It's Mary's and James's diner. I want to be at my best." Eyeing his son up and down he added: "Unlike someone I know."

"What's wrong with my outfit?" Bae asked, outraged. "Besides, don't change the subject. If you spend all this time getting ready for a diner, I can't even imagine how long it will take for you to be ready for the wedding tomorrow."

Anthony didn't reply to that. He wasn't going to admit that he was willing to spent all the time he deemed necessary to look good enough, not for the diner, not even for the wedding, but for Belle.

Giving another yank at the tie, he studied his reflection on the mirror. Well, he looked as good as possible, he thought. Facing his son he barked: "Still standing there? Move your ass boy we're running late."

"But.. I… That's what I…" He sputtered.

Anthony cut in:" No 'buts'. Get a move on!"

Fuming, Bae stalked out of the room, followed closely by his grinning father.

"You look great Bae." Anthony said, clapping his son on the shoulder.

"I know. You're lucky I love you, otherwise I would not put up with your stuff." He beamed.

"I love you too." Anthony managed, his voice rough. Earing those words from his son never ceased to leave him feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside and close to tears at the same time.

With his spirits high, Anthony followed Bae to the car, still smiling. He was really looking forward to this diner.

…..

Things weren't going was smoothly as he hopped. First, he got lost in this God forsaken land. Then, when he finally found the Dinner (it really was named Granny's), Belle was nowhere to be found. It was pass 9pm; she could be in her room. So he decided to ask the motherly looking old hag behind the counter. She was everything but helpful. First she dodged: '_Belle? I really can't recall if someone with that name is staying here. My head isn't what it used to be,_ _you know?_' So he gave her a description: '_Oh! Yes. I see… She is out.'_ He asked out where_: 'Not_ _sure_.' Please try to recall_: 'Something about diner with Mary and James'. _Where? '_Not sure.' _Try to recall. '_Can't.' _By that time Gaston was ready to shake the answers out of her, but something about the way the man at the dinner were watching him, gave him pause. With a 'Thanks for nothing.' he stormed out, jumped into his car and slammed the door. Gripping the wheel until his knuckles turned white he willed himself to think. Thinking was really not one of his strong suits, but he tries nonetheless. The way he saw it he had three choices: leave to Chicago; stay for the wedding to see Belle or try and look for her now. The first choice he discarded immediately. He didn't travel this far to go home empty-handed. The third was the safest, but not exactly what he wanted. He wanted to go to the wedding with Belle. She would invite him, of course, after he won her back. So crashing the wedding was only in last resort. That left finding her. But how? Asking wouldn't get him nowhere if everyone was as unhelpful as that old hag. Gaston was a gambler and luck favor him a times. Hoping this was one of these times he started to drive, aimlessly, hoping to stumble into Belle. She was so going to pay for this!

He has been driving for almost an hour now, and he found nothing_. Maybe it was time to give up, _he thought, rubbing his eyes. Just when he was about to turn back, a pool of light caught his eye. It seemed like a restaurant, hidden from the street by the trees, but the light it cast was perfectly visible in the middle of all the darkness_. I'll_ check_ it out and if I found nothing I'll give up for the day. _The turn to the restaurant was so narrow he almost missed it. Grumbling to himself, wary of all the darkness around him, he drove carefully, trying not to hit the car into a tree. It would be the perfect ending to a lousy day. Suddenly the restaurant was in front of him, a little place, quite charming he must admit, filled with light. Gaston noticed the parking lot to the right, with just a few cars in it, one of which caught his eye: Belle's silver Peugeot, the model 406 designed by Pininfarina, her little lion as she called it. Laughing in triumph, Gaston parked his BMW right next to it. That annoying girl had many flaws, but her taste with cars was impeccable.

Thanking his luck, he started to make his way to the restaurant.

…..

It was pure chance that led Belle to exit the restroom just when Gaston was entering Alberto's. It was really too much to ask, to have a lovely ending to a lovely evening. Everything was going perfectly: Anthony, who looked amazing, was sitting next to her and they spent the whole evening talking; the food was exquisite, simple and delicious; the bottle of wine she drank left her with a pleasant buzz and feeling sexy and daring and feminine. She was really considering kiss the man senseless, caution be hanged. So, it was no surprise that Gaston showed up, here, today. That man had a way of ruining things for her so why would this time be any different?

"What are you doing here Gaston?" She asked, sounding tires. She _was_ tired. Tired of him.

"I'm here to talk to you." Was his only remark.

"We have nothing to talk about. We're over."

"We're not over until I say so." He hissed, reaching for her arm, dragging her to left, through a door that lead to a private dining room.

"Let go of me! Let me go Gaston!" Belle yanked her arm, trying to break free, but he didn't budge. He had an iron grip.

Feeling a little more than just uneasy, Belle followed him, praying that someone noticed she was gone.

…

Anthony, of course, noticed Belle was gone. The room seemed darker, the food blander, when she was not there. Excusing himself from the table he headed to the restroom, just to splash some water on his face and try to pull himself together, but, just before he opened the door, movement caught his eye. Belle and some tall young man were talking, or perhaps fighting, judging by the look on their faces. _It must be her ex, trying to win her back. _He completely disregarded the pang of jealousy such thought caused. He tried to force himself to look away until he heard Belle's voice, rising in outrage and, he realized with a sinking heart, fear. He saw the oaf drag her by the arm through another door, Belle trying to break free and rage like he never felt before almost overwhelmed him. No one, _no one, _had the right to treat a woman like that.

Taking advantage on the fact that that oaf was to distracted to notice, he approached them, getting a firm grip on his cane, and landed a hit on the wrist of the ex with enough force to bruise but not enough to break, forcing him to release Belle from his grip. She stumbled a few steps, putting some distance between them. Anthony took that chance to place himself partly in front of Belle, half a step to the right.

"I believe you overstayed your welcome." He said to the oaf. Glancing at Belle he added: "I think Mary was looking for you. If you want to go ahead I can show your...friend...the way out." He managed to make the word 'friend' sound like anything but.

"That bitch is not going anywhere until I say so." Gaston menaced, glowering at Anthony. The glare Anthony managed just fine but the insult the oaf so carelessly tossed was a completely different matter. He could feel his rage growing stronger, burning white hot, almost impossible to control.

"You will not use that word in the presence of this lady ever again." Anthony said quietly. The madder he got, the calmer he seemed, like the quiet before a huge storm or a peaceful river whose currents run deep and fierce and uncontrollable. Gaston was oblivious to that, of course, but Belle could see it all too well. Anthony's stance spoke of sudden and violent movement and looking at the two of them, one short the other tall, one broad shouldered and wide the other lean, there was not a trace of doubt in her mind about which was the dangerous one. It was an unknown aspect of Anthony, she should probably found it scary and disturbing but all she felt was a wave of lust washing over her. The need to laugh hysterically was very, very hard to repress.

"Who is this guy anyway?" Gaston went on, pointing at Anthony. "Are you giving it to this old man, Belle, whoring around?

_The boy was playing with fire_, Anthony thought, but before he could make him swallow those words along with his teeth, he felt Belle's hand grabbing his wrist, grounding him in place. He could feel the heat of her hand burning his flesh and couldn't help to look at her hand touching him. She gave his wrist a little squeeze, shot him a nervous smile and faced Gaston.

"This is Anthony Gold, my boyfriend." She stated, calm and collected, snaking her arm around Anthony waist. Only his remarkable self-control prevented him from trying to climb into the air. Instead he allowed himself to drop his own arm across her shoulders, bringing her closer. For acting sake, of course. Nothing to do with the fact that having her pressed to his side was probably the most erotic experience of his life.

The raucous laugh of Gaston snapped them out of their reverie. "This is the funniest thing I've ever heard in my life! Are you really saying that you trade me for him?!" He was laughing harder than ever, shaking his head and wiping tears of mirth. Belle, on the other hand, was waiting for his outburst to end, studying him with a thin smile.

"Are you over?" She asked, still sporting that thin smile.

"I can't say. Can't remember the last time I laugh so hard."

"Well, I hate to break it to you but Anthony his more of a man than you can ever dream to be." That forced his laughter to an abrupt stop. "Don't look so shocked Gaston, we're, after all talking about the difference between a boy and a man." Belle continued, beaming at Anthony. "Rest assured that I'm completely and totally and…multiply satisfied."

Anthony wanted to gawk, to stare at Belle slack-jawed, but that will blow their cover. So, instead he shot his most devilish, impish sneer at the oaf, who was shock-still, opening and closing with mouth but unable to speak.

"What is the meaning of this?" Emma asked, barging in, followed closely by James, Mary and Ruby.

"What are you doing here Gaston?" James inquired approaching them.

Visibly pulling himself together her answered, looking away from Anthony and Belle who were still holding each other.

"I was willing to give Belle another chance but I'm not getting someone else's leftovers." Still he was reluctant to leave, after being so thoroughly embarrassed. He will leave, but the last word will be his. Closing in on Anthony he sneered: "You can have her. I'm done with this bitc-…" Gaston was cut midsentence by Anthony's fist colliding into his jaw, with enough force to send him sprawling backwards. In a flash Emma was there, grabbing Anthony's arm, urging him to 'let go. You've done enough.' James was pulling Gaston to his feet, dragging him outside and Ruby took Belle with her, back to the dining room. Soon Anthony found himself with only Mary for company. She was eyeing him in the most disconcerting way, like she was aware of all that was going on in his head. That was impossible, obviously. Right?

Flexing his fist he turned to face her: "I shouldn't have hit him but he insulted Belle. Twice. Beside I had warned him."

She didn't answer, just kept on smiling. He was getting nervous. "I will apologize to Belle, of course."

Mary, taking pity on him, decided to tell him what he was apparently to blind to see or himself:

"She loves you, you know? "

"No she doesn't." The fact that he knew exactly who Mary was talking about was proof enough that he was going crazy. But Mary wasn't giving up that easily.

"Yes she does. She loves you."

"You don't know that. You can't possibly know that!" Why was she tormenting him like this?

"No, but I do know her. Trust me." She tried to infuse her answer with all the certainty she felt.

"Even if she does, tomorrow, or next week, or next year, she will stop loving me. And then it'll be my heart crushed, not hers." There, he admitted his fear, his cowardice, to her.

"So you're going to waste your chance at happiness, alongside with hers, based on the possibility that she might stop loving you?" She was dumbstruck.

"It's easier this way. Safer." Somehow it didn't feel easy at all. It felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest.

Profoundly disappointed Mary walked out to leave, but before she turned to him and said: "I'm sorry but you're an idiot. And a coward. Belle deserves better."

…

Later that night, back in his house, Anthony replayed the night events in his head. At first he was so mad: '_Who does that girl think she is? Calling him a coward.'_ But, as minutes turned into hours he realized that she was right. Absolutely, bloody right and _that _didn't make things any easier. Running a trembling hand through his hair he collapsed in his chair, feeling conflicted but most of all defeated. With a groan he buried his face in his hands and just stood there, unmoving, for a very long time.


	6. Chapter 6

Summary: Sometimes you find love when and where you least expected.

Rating: PG 13

Author notes: As I said before, my native language is NOT English, and my skills are sketchy at best. Typos, misspelling, verb tenses all wrong... you'll probably stumble across all of the above. Please, bear with me. I'm trying my best. The flow of the story isn't exactly what I'd hoped it to be but my vocabulary only stretches so far.

This is AU. You will realize (if you stick to the story long enough) that my Gold is more like Baby!Rum than DarkOne!Rum.

That being said, forgive me for such a long note and I sincerely, truly hope you'll enjoy it.

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING

The wedding day had finally arrived. The weather was prefect, endless blue skies, a smell of summer in the air. Belle's feelings, however, were a bit cloudier. Today was goodbye, goodbye from this adorable little town, from spending time with her friends instead of being all alone and, the worst of all, goodbye from Anthony and Bae. It was utterly ridiculous, pinning for this dream, but it was stronger than her. She was single, her parents died, her closest friends were here, her job allowed her to live wherever she wished, and she wished it could be here, with Anthony and Bae as her family. But it seems it was not meant to be.

Dragging herself from her pit of misery, Belle put on her happy face and started to get ready for Mary Margaret and James wedding. The ceremony will take place at Jonathan and Emma's place because that house was huge. Everything was ready, the decorations, the flowers, the garden, the food. All Belle had to do was go there, support her friends and leave as soon as possible, before she did something completely stupid and embarrassing. A clean break.

It was almost time. She was already dressed and her make-up was done, so she left Granny's, hop into her Peugeot and drive to the Hatter's place. The 10 minutes' drive through the forest helped her nerves to calm a bit. Driving always had a soothing effect on her.

She was one of the firsts to arrive. The place was beautiful, all in whites and silvers, flowers and lace and satin. Belle parked around the house and let herself in, hoping she could find Mary Margaret before completely losing herself in this palace. Thankfully Belle run almost immediately into Emma, who pulled her into a hug.

"Thank God you're here." Emma said, already leading her by the hand to a staircase. "Mary keeps asking about you."

"Well we can't keep the blushing bride waiting, now can we?" Belle laughed, secretly happy that she had something to occupy her mind, other that her impending farewell.

Mary Margaret was beautiful, a regular Snow White, all smooth white skin, raven dark hair and rosy lips.

"You look amazing sweetie. James's jaw will hit the floor when he finally sees you." She approached her friend pulling into a tight hug. "I wish all the happiness in the world for you guys. You deserve it." Belle was fighting to keep her tears at bay. She had this strange feeling that if she started to cry, she wouldn't be able to stop.

"Me? You're drop dead gorgeous." Mary Margaret admired, making Belle twirl in place. Long, curly, auburn hair, glossy red lips, all combined with an above the knee, light blue dress, simple but flattering, dark blue pumps and clutch to match.

Pulling Belle into another hug she asked: "Do you really need to leave after the party? Can't you stay?" Her tone was sad and knowing at the same time. Only a blind wouldn't be able to see that Belle was in love with Anthony Gold, and she knew that if Belle left, she would never come back, not ever. She was afraid that Belle was about to miss her chance at happiness. She thought long and hard about her talk with Anthony last night and decided to confide on James. She ranted and yelled, disappointment and despair mingled together. James, bless him, let her talk her piece and when she was spent, silent tears streaming down her face, he approached her and asked: '_Don't you see that he is just scared? Yes, he is acting like a jerk but, c'mon, he punched Gaston in the face! Have you ever imagined him doing something like that to protect someone other than Bae? It's not like you to lose hope love.' _And he was right, of course. She would hold on to her belief until the end. Let's just hope it's not a bitter one, though.

Belle, obviously, rapidly steered the conversation to safer, easier topics. She was hurting, her face, but specially her eyes, mirrored her emotions. She was always one to carry her heart on her sleeve. Mentally berating herself she started to take care of the final details. Time was running now, and before they knew it, guests were starting to arrive, and James was already waiting at the end of the aisle. Facing Mary, Belle urged her to take a deep breath and with a last, tight hug, they started to make their way to the back garden. Music was playing and they could hear the muffled sound of conversations and laughter outside.

Everybody stopped and stared, once they saw them. James was smiling hugely, his sole attention focused on Mary Margaret. While she started the slow walk along the aisle, Belle took her place next to Ruby and Emma. Trying to casually survey the crowd Belle started to look for a face in particular. No point in denying this last bitter-sweet pleasure. If this was the last time she'll ever see Anthony, she'll take the most of it, even if it hurt. Then she saw him, sitting next to Bae, looking dashing in a beautiful tuxedo. Apparently he was looking at her, or for her, because his eyes caught hers immediately and he gave her his most brilliant smile. Belle looked away so fast she almost fell, catching herself in Ruby's arm barely in time. She blamed the stilettos and her usual clumsiness for her lack of balance but Ruby seemed unconvinced, exchanging glances with Emma. But Belle was too nervous to notice. All she knew was that her heart was beating wildly, and butterflies were fluttering in her stomach and, she realized with a growing sense of panic, she could not, she _would _not be able to face Anthony. The only reasonable course of action was, obviously, to hide, to find some place inside the Hatter's place, somewhere with books if possible, and hide. Avoid Anthony at all cost. Then find Mary Margaret and James, apologize, say goodbye, and run for it. She was beyond caring if it was the coward's way out or if it was plain rude to her new friends. Now that the time was upon her, she just wouldn't be able to deal with the sense of loss.

To say that she paid attention to the ceremony would be a lie. She was entirely focused on avoiding Anthony, which was not as easy as one might think. She could feel his eyes on her, almost as if they were caressing her skin, touching every inch of her, demanding her attention. The few times that she dared to look at him she saw him, wide-eyed and tense as if he was struggling and losing some kind of inner battle. But always with his gaze firmly on her.

The ceremony was coming to an end, everyone was standing, applauding the newly-weds and making their way to give their congratulations in person. Belle, taking advantage of her position near the aisle approached Mary and James, gave them hugs and wished them all the happiness in the world and dashed into the house, avoiding everyone else. She thought that she saw Anthony coming in her direction but she lost sight of him in the middle of all the guests. Forcing him out of her mind Belle started to look for a room to hide for a few hours and stumble across a fantastic library with thousands of books. The room was big yet comfortable, and, most importantly, was empty. Belle helped herself to a whiskey from the drink cabinet, picked a book at random, and crashed into a plump armchair, trying to lose herself for a while.

Belle drank her first whiskey, then a second, the alcohol relaxing her at some extent. The book was open, sitting in her lap, but she wasn't reading, she couldn't concentrate. She was so completely lost in thought that when the library door opened she nearly jumped of her skin.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Anthony apologized, taking a concerned step forward, raising the hand that wasn't holding the cane as to reassure her.

"Don't worry about it. I was …distracted." Belle was willing her heartbeat to slow down, pressing a hand to her chest.

"I was looking for you, actually. I haven't seen you since the ceremony." His voice carried a slight interrogation.

"Yes, I was tired and decided to rest for a bit, but I found out this library and kind of lost track of time."

"I was starting to worry you would leave without saying goodbye." He sounded, and looked sad, but, of course, she was just seeing what she wanted to see. Nevertheless she felt a bit embarrassed because leaving without saying goodbye was exactly what she was planning to do.

"We will miss you, Bae and me." He went on. "You were almost part of the family." And by God, the pain it caused her to hear him say such a thing.

The pain must've shone in her eyes because Anthony was approaching her, trying to peer into her eyes, trying to understand what was wrong. Belle averted his gaze, buying some time. She was close to tears and she would be mortified if he saw her crying.

"Tell me what's wrong, love, please." He pleaded, the word 'love' easily slipping from his to tongue, and she was lost. Throwing caution to the wind, she locked eyes with him. He was close enough that she could smell the spiciness of his aftershave. She took a tentative step forward, without taking her eyes of his face, trying to read his expression. He didn't step back, he seemed glued in place. Before she'd lose her nerve she took another step, reaching at the same time for the knot of his tie, and pulled him to her, capturing his lips with her own.

Anthony's mind went blank. Belle was kissing him, _his_ Belle. The one he has been dreaming of, fantasizing about and falling in love with ever since he first saw her. He could scarcely believe it. The feeling of her body pressed against his was a sweet torture and if only he could have her taste on his lips forever he would die a happy man. But something was wrong, she was pulling way, looking heartbroken and apologizing and he didn't understand why, his mind wasn't cooperating. _She is crying because you weren't kissing her back, you bloody idiot_. Belle's eyes were filling with tears and it was his entire fault. The panic of losing her made something inside of him, the fine thread holding is self-control together,_ snap_. With a sound suspiciously similar to a growl, he lounged forward, snaking one hand behind her neck and the other between her shoulder blades and crashed into her lips. Taking advantage of her surprised gasp, he plunged his tongue into her mouth, tasting her completely and drinking her moan of pleasure. She tasted of whiskey and of something sweet and at the same time spicy, a taste that was all her. He was never one to fall to an addiction but he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would need her taste, her scent, the feeling of her pressed against him for the rest of his life. The mere thought of being without her seemed ridiculous and he branded himself a fool for wasting so much time.

Earlier, when he noticed Belle was nowhere to be found, he felt an irresistible need to look for her. He felt like he was walking in a kind of haze, unsure of what to do or say except that he _had_ to find her, talk to her. And now everything assumed a dream-like quality although no dream could compare to this sweet reality. For the first time in his life he didn't feel like a coward. He felt as fragile as crystal and as strong as a diamond, his heart felt so full her was sure it will explode. He felt all kinds of strange, and terrifying, and delicious sensations but not cowardice. Never again. Belle made him fell brave and even if this kiss as all that he will get, it will still be worth it.

Taking advantage of his new found boldness he started to plant hot, wet kisses along the column of her throat, licking and nipping slightly, reveling on her throaty whimpers. He hit a particular sensitive spot, making Belle grab a fistful of his hair at the nape of his neck. The mix of pain and pleasure was so exquisite, so unexpected that, without even thinking about it, he sank his teeth in the soft flesh of her neck and was rewarded with a half-cried 'Oh, my God, Anthony!' that went straight to his groin. They were so completely lost in each other, oblivious to all, that they only realized they were being watched when they heard someone harrumphing loudly:

"I would say that I was sorry to interrupt, except I am not. Congratulations!" Mary and Ruby were at the entrance of the library, grinning broadly. "At long last you guys finally show some sense."

Belle was flushing brilliantly and tried to put some distance between her and Anthony, but he was having none of it. Catching her hand with his own, he pulled her close and faced Mary, smiling softly: "How nice of you to drop in. Too bad we are in a middle of something. Why don't you run along. We will join you shortly."

"What's going on in here?" A different voice asked from behind the girls.

"Your father and Belle were caught kissing." Ruby answered, scooting away to give Bae some room.

"Finally! You took your sweet time old man."

"You knew?" Anthony chocked. I was easy to be cheeky with Mary and Ruby. With Bae, not so much. He was confident Bae approved Belle but Anthony was nervous nonetheless.

"It was painfully obvious. Everyone knew, except, apparently, you guys." He was smiling and teasing and Anthony felt some of the tension disappear and felt Belle relax too. He was so focused on Bae's reaction that he never even noticed Belle tensing next to him. Knowing that she too needed Bae's approval only reinforced his feelings for her. She loved his boy, his boy loved her and he loved them both. Things were never as perfect as they were right now. Well, he wouldn't object to a little alone time with Belle.

As if sensing Anthony's mood, Mary herded everyone out_. Those guys needed some time to talk about things. And kiss. Can't neglect the kissing. And who would have thought that Anthony Gold had a biting kink_? Mary thought, fanning herself. This new information will definitely require a girls-night-out. And booze. Lots of it.

Now that they were alone again, Anthony was not sure how to proceed. A life-time of mistrust and self-loathing and not an easy thing to forget. But he was done being a coward so, steeling himself, he pulled Belle close, marveling of how easily she stepped into his embrace, how trusting and confidant she was:" So, Miss French, what do you think about prolonging your stay in our little town." He was leaning to her, basking in her scent.

"Oh, I think I can be convinced to stay." She answered, inching closer still, grabbing the lapels of his jacket.

"Do you know?" He purred, his hot breath tickling her ear. "What will it take to convince you then?"

Gazing deep into his eyes, letting all her love and desire shine through, she replied, snaking one hand to the nape of his neck, twining her finger in his soft hair: "Why don't you start with a kiss?"

And so he did.

**THE END**


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